Former Patriots HC Bill Belichick Doesn't Make HOF on First Ballot

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has a mess on its hands, and it has no one to blame than themselves. Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, winner of eight Super Bowls during his NFL career, was reportedly snubbed from the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility on the ballot.

According to a report from ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham, Belichick fell short of the 40 votes required (out of 50) needed for induction. ESPN reported that Belichick -- now the head coach at the University of North Carolina -- received a phone call from a Hall representative informing him of the decision.

It's a baffling choice that will certainly leave a stain on the ballot for years to come. Belichick reportedly asked an associate "six Super Bowls isn't enough?" referring to his two-decade long tenure in New England.

He was brought over via trade ahead of the 2000 season, where owner Robert Kraft (who's also up for induction this summer) spent a first round pick to acquire the new head coach. He drafted future Hall of Famer Tom Brady in the sixth round that season, and eventually won six titles. He changed the way the league looked at the cap, and created ways to utilize roster building that continues into 2025.

Enough has been said about his candidacy. It's more than deserving. It's likely the biggest snub from any sports Hall of Fame of all time, more so than Barry Bonds missing out on the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Dec 11, 2011; Landover, MD, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. New England won 34-27. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images

Belichick won 333 career games, including playoffs, which puts him second all time behind Don Shula (347). His role in a 20-year dynasty that defined the NFL is among the greatest in organized sports in America.

From ESPN: "Multiple sources told ESPN that Spygate and Deflategate, the twin cheating scandals during the Patriots' championship run, came up in deliberations among voters. A voter who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Polian, an ardent Kraft supporter and former general manager of the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts -- a chief Patriots rival during their dynasty -- told some voters he believed Belichick should "wait a year" before induction as penance for Spygate, the 2007 cheating scandal that cost the team a first-round draft pick. Commissioner Roger Goodell also fined the Patriots $500,000 and fined Belichick $250,000."

Awful. Just awful.

Bill Belichick Snubbed From HOF Is Black Eye

Yes, the Spygate/Deflategate issues may have left a black eye on his legacy. But it absolutely doesn't take away his on-field accomplishments. What should have been an easy unanimous vote turns into a total debacle that will make people think twice about the legitimacy of the institution.

Former Patriots linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, who played for Belichick from 2018 to 2023, took to X to issue his disgust with the announcement. The Super Bowl champion posting, "Bill not being 1st Ballot a Joke.'

Bill not being 1st Ballot a Joke https://t.co/U2WsxMLqdL
— JB (@NVBentley33) January 27, 2026

It continues a trend about the clear anti-Patriots bias within the Hall of Fame. Gino Cappelletti -- a kicker and wide receiver who was one of the faces of the upstart AFL -- remains outside the walls. Rodney Harrison and Adam Vinatieri, two of the greatest at their positions in the history of the sport, also don't have a gold jacket and bust in Canton.

And now Belichick.

"'The only explanation (for the outcome) was the cheating stuff," a veteran HOF voter told ESPN. 'It really bothered some of the guys.'"

This was the second season that finalists in the coaches and contributor categories were pitted against each other. That meant Belichick and Kraft, who's post-marriage relationship has been marred over the years, were going up against one another. The other finalists included Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and LC Greenwood.

What more did he need to possibly accomplish?

Belichick, Polian and the Hall of Fame all declined to comment, according to ESPN.

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